Sony’s FES Watch U finally goes on sale - but only in Japan

Sony's FES Watch U has finally gone on sale in Japan after being teased at IFA 2016 and going through the company's own First Flight crowdfunding platform.

The device is the second iteration of the e-paper smartwatch, giving prospective users a choice to switch between multiple watch faces and strap designs with the push of a button.

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And while it still doesn't possess any genuine smarts underneath the new metal face, it does possess more functionality than its older sibling — new designs can now be acquired by syncing up with the FES Closet app, which Sony indicates will be released by creators every month for the rest of 2017.

Interestingly, Sony has also decided to ditch the replaceable cell battery that saw the watch live for around two years, instead opting for a rechargeable battery pack that will last for up to three weeks.

Whether Sony will choose to release the new watch outside of Japan is currently unknown, with the first FES Watch only travelling across to the US. What we do know, though, is that the premium black model will set you back 60,000 yen (which converts to around ) and 46,000 yen for the regular steel finish, which comes with a black or white strap.

This is a stark jump from the pricing for the original device, which saw users get in on the chameleon action for 29,700 .

All in all, we'd have liked to have seen Sony offer some smart capabilities inside the watch, since the Sony Smartwatch 4 remains a pipe dream, but this is still a welcome addition to the field.